Controlling-valve for explosive-engines.



No. 688,908. Patented Dec. l7, I90l.

J. WALRATH. CONTROLLING VALVE FUR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES. (Applicati'm filed Oct; 12, 1900.)

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No. 688,908. 8 Patented Dec. [7, IQUI.

J. WALRATH.

CONTROLLING VALVE FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

(Application filed Oct, 12, 1900.)

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UNITED STATES ATFNT Trice.

JESSE W'ALRATH, OF RAOINE, WISCONSIN.

CONTROLLING VALVE FOR EXPLOSl\IE-=ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,908, dated December 17, 1901. I 7 Application filed October 12, 1900. Serial No. 32,879. (No model.)

-zen of the United States, residing at Racine,

in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling-Valves for EX- pIOSiVe-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will onable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention is an improvement in adjustable controlling-valves for explosive-engines; and it consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form in which I have contemplated embodying myinvention, and said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view of a controlling-valve embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a cross-section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a cross-section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a cross-section on line 4 4. of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents a plan view of the bottom plate and split clamping-ring.

The object of my invention is to provide a valve in which the ports for admitting gas (or vapor) and air can be adj usted without the possibility of altering the relation between the areas of the gas-inlet ports and the airinlet ports and without interfering with the operation of the valve under the influence of the governor.

In the drawings I have shown the upper part of the valve-casing constructed to supply two cylinders with explosive mixture, and a valve is shown for controlling the admission of the mixture to one or both cylinders; but this construct-ion is not an essential part of my present invention, as my improved valve may be used with equal advantage with one or more cylinders.

In the drawings, A represents the valvecasing, which is provided, preferably, with three internal chambersa mixing-chamber a, an air-chamber a, communicating at a with the atmosphere, (or with an air-supply,)

and a gas or vapor chamber a communicat-,

ing with a supply of gas or vapor, as at a.

two inlet passages A A formed in the oasing A and adapted to be connected with the two'cylinders of an explosiveengine. The stem 0 of the valve 0 is provided with a handlever 0 having a handle 0 and an indicator 0 so that the operator can tell in what position the valve is set and can readily move it into position to open communication with either or both of the passages A A A tubular inner casing or lining D is inserted into the lower end of the outer casing A and has an enlarged upper cylindrical portion (1, adapted to fit circular openings 00 and a above and below the air-chamber d. The lining D is also provided with a cylindrical partd below the part at, which is of less diameter than part d and extends through the gas or vapor chamber a and terminates at its lower end with a horizontal plate d which fits over the lower end of easing A and is designed to be secured thereto by screws, as hereinafter described.

E represents a vertically-movable and laterally -adjustable tubular valve which extends up through the part d of the lining D (in which it fits easily) and to the top of lining D. The upper part of the valve E is provided within the part (2 of the lining with radially-disposed webs e, which carry a cylindrical portion 6, fitting and working in the upper part d of the lining D. The upper part 01 of the lining is provided with a plurality of horizontally-disposed slots d for the purpose of admitting air, and the cylindrical part e of the valve E is provided with similar apertures 6 adapted to register with the apertures d (See Figs. 1 and 3.) The part d of the lining D is provided with a series of gas-inlet slots (1 and the tubular portion of the valve E is provided with slots 6 which are adapted to register with the slots d, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The combined areas of the air-inlet apertures d bear a definite the gas-inlet apertures.

predetermined relation to the combined areas of the gas-inlet apertures dfl and I have found by experiment that the ratio between the two may be fixed at eight to one (8 to 1) with advantageous results, or, in other words, the combined areas of the air-inlet apertures are eight times as great as the combined areas of It will now be seen that if the valve E be turned upon its axis in either direction the apertures formed therein will not register exactly with the corresponding apertures in the lining of the valvecasing, but will result in reducing said apertures uniformly horizontally and this without aifecting the relative areas of the air and gas inlets. This is true, no matter how much the valve is turned in a direction to reduce the length of said apertures horizontally, the combined areas of the air-inlets being always eight times the combined areas of the gasinlets. In order to secure this result, it is necessary that the air and gas apertures in the valve should be specially constructed for the purpose. I have found that if the air and gas inlets have the same vertical extent and subtend, respectively, the same angles the sleeve F.

from the axis of the valve that neither the lateral nor vertical movement of the valve will alter the predetermined ratio between the combined areas of the air-inlets and the combined areas of the gas-inlets. It will also be noted that my valve has two adjustments, the one by hand and the other by the governor, but that the adjustment of the valve in either of these ways does not change the ratio of the air and gas in the mixture.

The bottom plate or flange cl of the lining D is provided on its lower face with an annular recess 61 to receive the flanged upper end of a sleeve F, said sleeve being held in place by a closing-plate A which extends under the flangefot' the sleeve F and is provided with a central opening to fit said sleeve and a downwardly-extending split flange or ring A, adapted to clamp the upper part of To this end the meeting ends A -of the split flange or ring are provided with a clamping-screw A for drawing the ring tightly upon the sleeve. (See Fig. 5.) The upper end of the sleeve F surrounds the lower end of the valve E, and the sleeve is provided on its inside with a projection, in this case a screw-plugf, which engages a vertically-disposed groove 6 in the valve, so that the valve E and sleeve F must rotate together or be jointly held against rotation while the valve E is capable of vertical movement with respect to the sleeve. The lower end of the sleeve F is preferably provided with suitable means for turning it and the valve E, consisting in this instance of a hand-wheel f The bottom part of the valve E is provided with means for attaching it to an actuatingrod G, which is connected to the governor (not shown) of the engine, and in this instance I have shown the valve E provided with an integral plug or bottom e to which the rod G is attached, and said plug is provided with a series of apertures e" to prevent forming an air-cushion in the sleeve below the plug. The rod G extends from the valve E downward through the sleeve F and through a gland E, which is screwed into a threaded portion at the lower end of the sleeve.

It will be seen that the valve E is capable of movement Vertically under the influence of the governor and that such movement will cause the air-inlet and gas-inlet apertures before described to be varied in size vertically, and it will also be noticed that this variation of the said apertures will not alfect the relation between the size of the air-inlet and gasinlet apertures.

When the engine is running, the air will be admitted through the air-inlet apertures 61 and e", the air passing upward between the Webs e of the valve to the mixing-chamber a, and the gas or vapor will enter through the apertures 01 e and pass up the central portion of the valve to said mixing-chamber, from whence the mixture will pass to one or both of the engine-cylinders, according to the matter what position the valve E may assume vertically under the influence of the governor. If it is desired to change the horizontal width of the air and gas inlet apertures, and this may be done while the engine is running, the screw A is loosened and the sleeve F and valve E are turned on their axes until the air and gas inlet apertures are adjusted to the desired sizes, which adjustment will take place, as before described, without in any way affecting the relative sizes of the air and gas inlets or the control thereof by the valve E through the influence of the governor.

I preferably provide a spring H, surrounding the governor-rod G between the gland F and the bottom e of the valve, to balance (or sustain the weight) the valve, so that it will be perfectly sensitive to the movements of a governor-actuated rod G.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A controlling-valve for explosive-engines comprising among its members a valvecasing having parts provided with air and gas inlet apertures, a valve within said casing movable therein revolubly and longitudinally and provided with rigidly-united parts having apertures therein adapted to register with the air and gas apertures in said casing, said air and gas. apertures being so constructed that the combined areas of the air-inlets bear a fixed ratio to the combined areas of the gas-inlets at all times whether the valve is adjusted longitudinally or revolubly, a hand 'operated adjusting mechanism connected forv adjusting it in the other direction, substantially as described.

2. A controllingvalve for explosive-engines, comprising among its members a valvecasing provided with an air-chamber and a gas-chamber of different diameters located one above the other, said chambers being provided with inlet-apertures, a valve having rigidly-united portions of different diameters mounted in said air and gas chambers so as to revolve and move longitudinally therein and provided with apertures adapted to register with those of the said casing, said apertures being so constructed that the combined areas of the air-inlets bear a fixed ratio to the combined areas of the gas-inlets at all times whether the valveis adjusted revolubly or longitudinally, a hand adjusting mechanism for adjusting the valve in one direction and a governor connected with said valve for adjusting it in the other direction, substantially as described.

3. A controlling-valve for explosive-engines comprising amongits members, a valvecasing provided with a mixing-chamber at its upper end and airinlet and gas-inlet chambers of different diameters below said mixing-chamber, provided with inlet-apertures, a valve having a tubular portion engaging said gas-inlet chamber and communicating directly with the mixing-chamber,'and a separated tubular portion rigidly secured to said first -mentioned tubular portion, engaging the air-inlet chamber and communicating di rectly with said mixing-chamber, said valve having apertures adapted to register with said air and gas inlet apertures of the casing, a revoluble sleeve supported at the bottom of said casing and connected to said valve for joint rotation without interfering with its vertical movements, means for rigidly securing said sleeve and agovernor-actuated rod extending through said sleeve and connected with said valve, substantially as described.

4. A controlling-valve for explosive-engines, comprising among its members a valvecasing provided with a mixing-chamber at its upper end, an air-inlet chamber below the mixing-chamber and a gas-inlet chamber below the air-inlet chamber, a lining for said casing having a portion within said air-chamber, provided with inlet-apertures and a. reduced portion within said gas-chamber provided with inlet-apertures, a vertically-movable'valve within said lining provided with a central tubular portion extending from the gas-chamber directly to the mixing-chamber and provided with apertures adapted to re ister with the gas-inlet apertures of said lining, said valve having an integral tubular portion fitting the portion of said lining Within the air-inlet chamber, and communicating directly with the mixing-chamber and provided with apertures adapted to register with the air-inlet apertures 01": the lining, a rotatable sleeve supported in the bottom of said casing and connected to said valve to rotate therewith but permit the vertical movements of said valve with respect thereto, a clamping-ring for said sleeve secured to said casing and a governor-actuated rod extending up through said sleeve and connected to said valve, substantially as described.

5. In a controlling-valve for explosive-en gines, the combination with a valve-casing provided with a mixing-chamber at its upper end, a cylindrical casing below the mixingchamber provided with air-inlet ports, and a cylindrical chamber below said air-chamber of reduced diameter, and provided with gasinlet ports, of a verticallymovable valve having a tubular portion engaging the said smaller cylindrical chamber of the casing, provided with gas-inlet apertures adapted to register with those of the said chamber, said tubular portion of the valve extending up through the air-outlet chamber and communicating directly with the mixing chamber, said valve being also provided with a cylindrical portion located in said air-inlet chamber, surrounding said tubular portion and connected rigidly thereto, and provided with apertures adapted to register with the airinlet apertures, said cylindrical portion of the valve communicating directly with the mixing-chamber, substantially as described.

6. In a controlling-valve for explosive-em gines, the combination with a valve-casing provided with a mixing-chamber at its upper end, a cylindrical casing below the mixingchamber provided with air-inlet ports, and a cylindrical chamber below said air-chamber of reduced diameter, and provided with gasinlet ports, of a verticallymovable valve having a tubular portion engaging the said smaller cylindrical chamber of' the casing, provided with gas-inlet apertures adapted to register with those of the said chamber, said tubular portion of the valve extending up through the air-inletchamber and communicating directly with the mixing-chamber, said valve being also provided with a cylindrical portion located in said air-inlet chamber, surrounding said tubular portion and connected rigidly thereto, and provided with apertures adapted to register with the airinlet apertures, said cylindrical portion of the valve communicating directly with the mix ing-chamber, and a governor connected to said vertically-movable valve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JESSE WA LRATH,

Witnesses:

MARTIN J. GILLEN, EFFA M. OHADwIoK.

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